Courtney Lacoste 6/5/21 Courtney Lacoste 6/5/21

VANTAGE

It’s during my lunch break from work on January and my phone goes off. It’s a good friend of mine. A photo of a staged painting of a mountain range shows up on my screen followed by “do you think you could paint something like that?”. This, for me, is the best moment of all. As soon as I open the photo, images start flashing in my mind. My favorite ranges, paintings I’ve seen, paintings I’ve done, rooms and sizes and papers and - questions.

the makings of a painting. part 1.

It has been a WEEK in my studio, working away at new commission pieces, running admin with my clients, mailing, prepping, and packing up to do it all again the next day. After a slow start to 2021 in honor of taking care of myself, we are back at it. To celebrate a return to the studio in a big way, let’s walk through how my paintings come to be, together.

Come on in & let me show you around.

“Yeah totally I can!”

Can I? I mean, I haven’t really done anything like this before. It’s going to have to be big. Can I paint big? How? What will it cost? How much time will it take?

Mostly - what if it doesn’t work?

“Yeah totally I can!”

It’s one of my favorite people, someone I’ve known since I was 16. Someone I grew up with, from teenagers with no idea what our lives would look like to adults with adult jobs, and adult homes, and adult relationships. And baby dogs, but that is beside the point. The most important question of all follows - why not?

There is a safeness that sinks in, when working with someone who really knows you. A safeness that instills confidence. That makes risk taking possible. That tames the nerves. That understands the human element of the work. Being hired by someone you know is, to me, the greatest compliment - they see you, not only for you, but for the work that you do.

(Terrance - if you’re reading this, I always knew what I was doing. Never a doubt in my mind. Alllll under control. Not terrified whatsoever. Definitely did not confidently exclaim I could do it without thinking about if I could actually do it.)

And so, we got to work. It was settled - I could, and would, do it.

I strolled through the tight aisles of my local materials store, seeking out sizes that would work for the project we were going for. I needed big, and watercolor - two aspects that are not always synonymous. A canvas - that is going to work. How do I make canvas work for watercolor? Watercolor canvas? Too expensive, and hard to source.

Ah - Watercolor Ground. What is Watercolor Ground? In short, Watercolor Ground is applied to a surface as almost a makeshift layer of paper. It acts as a textured comparable to watercolor paper, in my experience. I propped up the largest canvas I had ever handled against the wall in my studio, and J and I took palette knives, spreading the ground and trying not to freak out at the gravity of the situation, being the very large financial investment in the materials, if it did not work out or we did a shit job.

The next morning, I walked in to the studio, and there she was. We did not, in fact, do a shit job.

She was perfect.

Now, time to hesitate some more.

To be continued.

Courtney Lacoste 5/10/21 Courtney Lacoste 5/10/21

I move because I want to.

Allowing myself to remove the pressure of quantifying movement and checking boxes allowed me to realize - I move, because I love it. That’s it.

Or something like that.

I move because I want to.

I have settled on LDC brand colors, so why not a graphic that is relatable to a lot of what I’ve been hearing lately.
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I’ve always been a mover (I type as I sit down at my computer after finishing my day job… but I digress).

I played hockey & football growing up. Then I took up running. Yoga. Hiking. Rugby. Weight training. Powerlifting. My newest - cycling. My body’s needs are simple: I move every day.

Knowing this very simple and straightforward fact took years of learning, unlearning, exploring, and frustration wrapped up in a very complicated lesson. What has changed over the years? My relationship to exercise and fitness, and specifically the quantification of movement.

I love the data. I love the stats. I love the weights lifted, the distance hiked, the kms/hr. I track to prove to myself, and others, that I choose to move. That I am committed to movement.

Why? To show I am “doing something” about my fat body.

In the past year, I realized something important - I’m a mover, and I move because I want to.

I no longer see it as a vehicle of punishment, a tool of shrinking, a box that I have to tick to be ‘doing something’ about my body. And, I don’t see my body as a limitation. I don’t allow that assumption, about a bigger body participating in movement for the sole purpose of becoming smaller, to ruin what I love.

I move because I want to. Because it helps manage my injuries and pain. Because it’s a way to spend quality time with my partner and pets. Because some of my favorite places can only be reached by foot. Because it assists in my mental health management.

And I realized that just because I love it, doesn’t mean that everyone does. It doesn’t make me better, or more dedicated. It doesn’t mean I have to ‘motivate’ others. Not everyone loves movement - and that is ok.

I move, because I love it. It’s something I often do alone. It’s a coping mechanism, an outlet, and a purely magnificent time.

In 2020, I had arguably my most active year of my life. I moved, every day. I explored new ways of doing old things, and tried things for the first time too.

Allowing myself to remove the pressure of quantifying movement and checking boxes allowed me to realize - I move, because I love it. That’s it.

Here’s to rolling all over my city this summer.

Courtney Lacoste 12/28/20 Courtney Lacoste 12/28/20

Let’s Manifest…

Do what you love, and you’ll never be alone again.

Or something like that.

We are barreling toward 2021, my friends. These precious couch days before January are for resting. And resting is for overthinking. So, let’s overthink together.

We defined success differently in 2020. For many businesses and individuals, success was survival this year. And for many - it meant a huge holiday season thanks to the shift toward investing in our local small businesses (thank-you, customers - we love you!)

As we rest, relax, and if you’re like me, close the doors to the studio for an extended period of time, it is natural to reflect on 2020 & plan for 2021. As you know if you’ve followed along with me for a while, I believe that relationships along with product are the key element to good business. So, let’s chat relationships!

I’m going to be pointed here - I want to work with the following this year:

Framing Company - I’d love to forge a long-term relationship with a local framing company.
Florist/Greenhouse - a Florist, greenhouse, or plant seller is top of my list of businesses to collaborate with this year through Creative Consulting. Curating a branding package, logo, or other marketing materials.
Potter or Ceramist - I would like to work with a local potter to bring my designs to the product realm in a way that feels authentic, and functional, to me.
Creatives interested in commercial clientele

My intent behind these collaborations is the following:

Framing Company - Presenting my Originals series as a complete product for shows & clients, particularly commercial clients. Providing framing options for my print clients.
Florist/Greenhouse - As I develop my style and focus deeply on advancing my skills in my particular specialty, I want to work with a business centered around it - plants! Collaborating with commercial clients is a big goal for 2021.
Potter or Ceramist - I want to enter the product realm with my designs & art. I want to focus on functional home products that are enduring, thoughtfully created, and can be collected.
Creatives - I intend to build on to my Creative Consulting platform to widen the range of products LDC can offer to small business clientele. If you are interested in becoming part of the team offering services, please contact me directly!

LDC will be releasing our Creative Consulting services in 2021 & we are so looking forward to working with our small business friends to enhance the visuals & design behind their product & service delivery.

Who do you want to collaborate with, and what is your intent with this collaboration? Maybe you’re here because that’s me - let’s connect & create!

Courtney Lacoste 12/6/20 Courtney Lacoste 12/6/20

You can’t make friends in business

Do what you love, and you’ll never be alone again.

Yes, I’m a fat artist. Nice to meet you!

And other lies you’ve been told.

You’ve heard it all. The importance of branding and putting your why at the centre of it. Speak, but not too much. Post, but not too much. Be relatable -- but certainly not too much.

Business is transactional, and it is changing. Note how many people you know are shopping local this season? Moving away from mass-produced goods toward personalized gifting that adds value, sentiment, even nostalgia. We are changing - and most of us don’t even know it. We’re more willing, and likely, to pay a higher price for a product that makes a difference - for the recipient, or for the seller.

The heart of business is changing - from transactional, to relational. And I’m here for it.

Now let’s be honest with ourselves and others - my business benefits from this shift, and we use it in our branding! Buy personal, buy relational, buy… and while this branding helps us to make sales and continue to bring accessible art in to homes, it is also the heart of our business.

At the heart of our why is art and design as a means of giving and building community - and we have accomplished just that. Not only have we made friends, but we’ve kept them. Repeat clients, referrals... LDC has lived on through a difficult year in large part thanks to the relationships we’ve built, and maintain. You invest in your relationships. You support your friends. You trade goods and services. You answer the phone when you’re needed (but please don’t text me because I may never respond - my mum says I should try harder at this in 2021). Businesses flourish when your community relations are at their strongest - with your clients, and with other businesses.

OK now I’m rambling but you get it. that’s what this blog is for anyhow. So, for our small business friends with nothing but your product, time, and support to give - your relationships are invaluable. Cultivate them. Grow them. Maintain them. And not for the sake of the transaction - transactional business behaviors even when disguised as relational, are still transactional, and will be seen as such.

Be relational in nature. Show us who you are, what you have to offer, and more importantly what you have to give. Show us your heart, and show up. Stand behind that heart. You don’t have to be perfect for us - you just have to be willing to give and take a little.

Here’s to the next phase of business & here’s to all of the friends we haven’t yet met. Send us an email, even just to say hello - we’d love to know you.

Courtney Lacoste 12/1/20 Courtney Lacoste 12/1/20

Do what you love…

Do what you love, and you’ll never be alone again.

Do what you love, and you’ll never be alone again.

Nothing could have prepared me for doing something I love. Yes, I’ve had many loves in my life; ice hockey, winter, dark chocolate - but none of them have prepared me for this.

I guess introductions are in order - I’m Court. Owner, Visual Artist, frantic business operator and occassional crier. Nice to, kind of, meet you, and welcome to my space.

So, let’s talk business. Lonely Door Creatives was born out of an inspiration fever when, get this, I had too much time on my hands. I’m not sure what was going on then, but it may have something to do with this venture, that I haven’t experienced that feeling since.

We will tell the story of Lonely Door Creatives soon. For now, I want to talk about doing what you love. I am a notorious lover of things - I am the jump out of bed on a Sunday morning with 17 plans and no map kind of person, to the dismay of my partner, I’m sure. I love action, adventure, celebration, food, events, and being busy. And the love I have for this business outweighs it all.

Things I didn’t expect when I started this venture:

Losing THIS much sleep. Not because I have too much work to do, although also that, but because I am excited in a way I haven’t been, maybe ever. Excited about new ideas, new potential, new relationships and friendships and community. And at the heart of it - new art.
Forging Community. An introverted fear of strangers, won’t pick up the phone in a personal setting type, I am what is referred to as an expressive introvert. Professionally, you would never know - and that has transferred to this business. I’ve taken chances, forged relationships, and become involved in my community in a way that was wholly unexpected, for someone who spent five years in this city mostly alone.
Improvement. The art - at the heart of all of this, is my longest-standing skill, aside from possibly my comedic gift (right, mom?). A skill I trained for my entire life, a skill I did not anticipate would ever be used in a business setting. A skill I took a leap of faith on, and have committed to since. The commitment has paid off, in the work, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue developing it.
Loving it.

That last one - that’s the big one. The passion, committment, excitement, anticipation, drive that I experience about my business is an unparrelleled passion. And when I say I’m passionate… it’s an understatement.

I didn’t expect to love it - not this much. Not so much that I am sitting here in my studio at 5:00 am, because I had an idea and can’t get back to sleep. Not so much that not a second has been wasted this year, and not once have I resented it yet. Not so much that it would change the way I see, me.

Giving, connecting, and maintaining sustainable relationships with my community is my greatest sense of purpose, and I have found the vehicle to do just that. Do what you love - and you’ll never be alone again. Owning your heart business is relational - an exchange of your resources, to build an entity infused with you, but that exists outside of you, too.

Have you found what you love yet? I can’t wait to hear about it.